Folding golf tee



March W BOCK FOLDING GOLF TEE Filed July 51, 1931 INVENTOR.

William E. E u Bk ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 21, 1933 warren stares FOLDING GOLF TEE Application filed July 31,

The present invention relates to golf tees and more particularly to portable, folding, metallic tees which may be used indefinitely in contra-distinction to tees of sand, wood and composition material, which are easily broken and lost.

The principal objects of the invention are, to provide golf tees which may be comfortably carried in pockets or readily hung on hooks so as to be available when teeing ofi which are of a nature to be readily placed into and removed from the turf; which are not likely to be dislodged when striking the ball in a faulty manner; and which may be readily adjusted after being initially placed so that the balls will be at the desired elevations above the turf.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the golf tee extended and supporting a golf ball, the

. adjacent turf being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the golf tee in extended position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view in elevation, the dotted line showing an adjusted position of a part thereof.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the golf tee in a folded position.

In the drawing, where like characters designate like parts and characteristics thereof thruout the views, A is a peg member adapted to be forced into the turf, and B an arm supported by the peg member, so as to be capable of a swinging movement, responsive to forces coming upon it, as when the golf ball, indicated at C, is struck, or when manually moved to a folded position as shown in Figure 4. The arm B is also preferably adjustable along the axis of the peg member as indicated by full and dotted 1 lines in Figure 3.

The pe member A is preferably formed of a single length of wire, such as one-eighth inch brass wire and shaped to provide a shank 5 and an eye forming bend 6, which provides a finger piece 7 and a stop 8. The

1931. Serial No. 554,3?7.

lower portion of shank 5 may be pointed as indicated at 9 to facilitate forcing of the shank into the turf, while the stop 8 may be used to limit the extent to which the shank may be forced into the turf. The user may place the index finger of the hand in the eye forming bend so as to engage the finger piece 7, and with the thumb upon same, force the shank into the turf with ease. Likewise this eye forming loop facilitates removal of the shank from the turf.

The golf ball supporting arm B may also be formed of a single length of wire, preferably one-sixteenthinch spring steel, such as piano wire. It includes an elongate main body part 10, a sleeve 11 at one end portion thereof encircling and slidable along the shank 5 and eye forming bend 6; and a ball supporting eye 12, serving as a seat for the ball, at the end of body part opposite sleeve 11. This sleeve may be formed by a plurality of turns 13 of wire, thus making the sleeve somewhat flexible and of such a nature that the ball C acting as a weight at the free end of arm B will cant the sleeve '11 so that its axis is not parallel or coincident with the axis of peg 5, thus bringing the turns orconvolutions 13 into intimate contact with the shank 5 at opposite sides thereof indicated at 14 and 15 in Figure 3, By this arrangement suflicient friction is set up to hold the arm B in the desired adjusted position above the turf, as indicated'in full lines, Figure 3 and also prerent the arm from accidentally swinging about the shank 5. In other words, while arm B may swing about the shank 5 as a result of a player striking the ball, it will nevertheless retain the. adjusted position above the turf, even tho acted upon by wind forces.

The sleeve 11 is preferably formed so that its axis indicated by the dotand dash line XX, Figure is at an obtuse angle to the axis of body part 10. This may be accomplished by providing an ofiset as at 16 between body part- 10 and sleeve 11. By this construction, when a ball restsupon seat 12, and sleeve 11 frictionally engages shank 5 as at 1i15, the body part 10 will be substantially horizontal.

It is preferred to form the ball supporting arm B of a length substantially equal to the length of peg member A, 50 that when the sleeve 11 of the arm B is on the eye forming bend 6, as shown in Figure 4, and the shank 5 and body part 10 extend in the same direction, the ball supporting eye 12 may be snapped over the pointed end portion 9 of the shank. In this way the device is folded compactly and will not be found uncomfortable if carried in the pocket.

If desired, the peg member A and supporting arm B may be coated or plated with noncorrosive material, such as chromium.

In describing the invention by aid of the views above referred to, it is desired to point out that same are merely illustrative of an example whereby the invention may be applied in practice, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown. The foregoing description is therefore to be broadly construed as including substitute constructions and arrangements of parts which are the obvious equivalents of those mentioned, as defined by the appended claims.

hat is claimed is:

1. A golf ball tee comprising, a peg member formed of wire including a shank and an eye forming bend at the upper end portion thereof. and a supporting arm including a golf ball supporting eye at the free end thereof and a sleeve portion at the other end thereof encircling and slidable along said shank and eye forming bend, whereby the free end of said peg member may engage said eye.

2. A golf tee comprising, a shank having an eye forming bend, and a supporting arm, including an elongate body part having a golf ball supporting eye at the free end thereof and a coiled sleeve-like portion at the other end thereof encircling and slidable along said shank and eye forming bend, whereby the free end of said shank may engage said eye.

3. A golf tee comprising. a peg member formed of wire including a shank and an eye forming bend at the upper end portion thereof, and a golf ball supporting arm formed of wire, including an elongate body part, a coiled sleeve-like portion at one end thereof, encircling and slidable along said shank and eye forming bend, and a ball supporting eye at the other end of said body part, the length of said supporting arm being substantially equal to the length of said peg member, so that when the sleeve of the arm is on the eye forming bend and the shank and body part of the arm extend in the same direction, the ball supporting eye may be snapped over the end of the shank remote from the eye forming bend.

4:. A golf tee comprising a shank having an eye forming bend, and a supporting arm including a sleeve-like portion at an end there- WILLIAM E. BOGK. 

